FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a homogeneous, concentrated water-based liquid detergent, to a process for its production and to its use for the manual and machine washing of fabrics.
Water-based liquid detergents which contain a mixture of anionic and typical nonionic surfactants and in which the nonionic surfactant content, based on the liquid detergent as a whole, is 20% by weight or more, generally lack homogeneity to the extent that the liquid detergent undergoes phase separation, for example separation into two clear liquid phases or the flocculation of a solid. This phase separation either occurs directly during production, during storage for several weeks (inadequate stability in storage) or on dilution with water. Another disadvantage is that liquid detergents of this type often show such high viscosities that they can no longer flow without the application of external shear forces.
It has now been found that it is possible to produce concentrated water-based liquid detergents containing at least 20% by weight of nonionic surfactants which do not have any of the disadvantages mentioned above.